On July 31, 1924, noted academic Daniel Harvey Hill, Jr. died.
Born in Davidson in January 1859, Hill earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Davidson College and spent time teaching at Georgia Military College before joining the first faculty at what’s now N.C. State University as an English professor in 1889. He would stay on at the Raleigh university for 29 years.
On July 31, 1949, Depression-era governor John Christoph Blucher Ehringhaus, died.
Born in Elizabeth City in 1882, Ehringhaus represented Pasquotank County in the General Assembly and served as the modern-day equivalent of a district attorney before becoming governor.
On July 29, 1924, Burlington Mills, owned by entrepreneur J. Spencer Love, began operations.
Initially Love struggled with sales, but his luck began to change as soon as he began experimenting with the newly-created synthetic yarn called rayon. Burlington Mills produced an incredibly popular rayon blend bedspread, the success of which allowed Love to diversify into other rayon products including draperies and cloth for garments. During this time Love built new facilities and purchased old cotton mills for conversion to rayon production.
On July 28, 1951, Capus Waynick of High Point was appointed United States ambassador to Colombia.
Before entering the political arena, Waynick worked as a newspaper reporter and later served as editor, publisher and part owner of the Greensboro Record, and as editor of the High Point Enterprise.
On July 28, 1863, a skirmish was fought at Boon’s Mill near Jackson. It marked the end of a Federal raid against Weldon, a major railroad hub linking the Deep South to Richmond.
The operation began three days earlier, when infantry under Maj. Gen. John G. Foster landed near Winton on the Chowan River. The next day they advanced toward Murfreesboro and defeated a Confederate force at Potecasi Creek.